Toy vehicle



Au 15, 1933- c. c. BLACKMORE TOY VEHI CLE Filed June 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l .5 mm y T 5 NK 6 R m m T 4 L R M W wk QQ TI." ,(L

Aug. 15, 1933. Q c BLACKMORE 1,923,049

TOY VEHICLE Filed June 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 II/Is ATTOFPNY g- 15, 1933- c. c. BLACKMORE TOY VEHICLE Filed June 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I713 147'7'0HNE Y Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE Application June 26, 1931.

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a toy vehicle and more particularly to that type of toy vehicle commonly known as a coaster wagon. Many toy vehicles of this character are manufactured for sale at a very low price, the coaster wagon here illustrated have a retail price of one dollar. It is necessary therefore that the construction of the vehicle be such that it can be produced at a very low cost and it is customary to build the wagons almost entirely of sheet metal. This results in a low cost both as to material and as to labor but it frequently results in structural weaknesses. One place where weakness frequently develops is in the pivoted axle bar and its connection with the body. Usually this axle bar is formed from a blank of sheet metal having its ends turned down to receive the axle for the wheels and having flanges to reinforce the same, the upper or horizontal part of the bar being connected with the body by a single rivet or pivot pin. Such an axle bar. is structurally weak and will be distorted under heavy loads or under long continued use with a normal load, and the single pivot pin or rivet frequently becomes loose or even tears out of the body or of the axle bar. Another place where weakness develops'is in the handle and its connection with the pivoted axle bar. Ordinarily the handle is pivoted on a bracket which is secured in some manner to the axle bar but this bracket as usually constructed lacks necessary strength and the manner of connecting the handle thereto is such that both the bracket and the handle may be twisted and distorted. Further, it is customary to ship such a vehicle in a partially disassembled or knock down condition. In practically all instances the wheels are removed when the vehicle is packed for shipment. When such a knocked down vehicle is received by the dealer it is usually assembled by a porter or other person having little or no mechanical skill, and if the assembly is at all complicated it often happens that the parts will not be correctly assembled.

It is one object of the invention to provide a toy vehicle which will be simple in construction and can be produced at a low cost and which will be of a strong durable character and can be easily assembled.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an axle bar formed of sheet metal in such a manner as to give the same relatively great strength.

A. further object of the invention is to provide simple eflicient means for connecting such an axle bar with the body of the vehicle in a strong durable manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a handle bracket of such a character that it can be quickly and easily assembled on the axle bar and will be held rigidly against distortion when so assembled.

Serial No. 547,071

bodying my invention; Fig. 2 is'a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the front axle bar in rear elevation; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing a portion of the rear axle bar in front elevation; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a detail View of the blank from which the handleis formed; Fig. 8 is a detail View of the completed handle; Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the axle bar showing a portion of the handle and its connecting bracket; Fig. 10 is a bottom plan View of the handle bracket; Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a slightly modified form of front axle bracket, showing the same in rearelevation; Fig. 12 is a section taken on the line, 12-12'of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a front elevation of another modification, showing a different method or" connecting the wheels with the axle bar; and Fig. 14 is a plan View of one of the axle connecting devices of Fig. 13.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, together with two modifications thereof but it will be understood that this embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that the invention may be applied to toy'vehicles of various kinds and thatthe several'parts of the invention may take various forms.

The vehicle here shown is a. coaster wagon and comprises a body 10, preferably of sheet metal, which is supported at its rear end by wheels 11 mounted on an axle bar or bolster 12, which is secured to the body of the wagon. As here shown, this axle bar is formed from a single piece of sheet metal and comprises a vertical web 13 having an upper flange 14, a lower flange 15 and end flanges 16. The upper edges of the end portions of the bar are inclined downwardly and outwardly and the upper flange is formed on these inclined edges and on the upper horizontal portion of the web. In the present instance, the flange 14 does not extend entirely across the top of the axle bar but is of sufiicient size to receive attaching bolts 1'7 by means of which the bar is secured to the bottom of the vehicle oted axle bar. This bracket may be secured to the axle bar in various ways but for simplicity of construction and ease of assembly I prefer to utilize the pivot pin 33 in part for securing the bracket to the axle bar. As here shown, the bracket is formed of sheet metal and comprises a top member or plate 43 having depending lateral flanges 44 and a front flange a, the ends of which are rigidly secured to the adjacent ends of the lateral flanges and are preferably formed integral therewith, by a drawing operation. The rear portion of the top plate extends'rearwardly beyond the rear edges of the lateral flanges 44 and is inserted between the bearing surface 24 of the support 21 and the bearing surface 32 of the axle bar, this rearwardly extending portion of the bracket having an opening to receive the pivot pin 33 and this opening being so arranged that when the pivot pin is inserted through the same the rear edges of the lateral flanges 44 will be held in contact with the vertical web 28 of the axle bar. If desired, the rear end of the top plate 41 may be bent downwardly, as shown at 45, to engage the top flange of the axle bar and thus further strengthen the connection between the parts. Preferably the front flange 45 is of a comparatively shallow depth and the lower edges of the lateral flanges 44 are inclined downwardly and rearwardly and have at their rear ends portions 46 which extend beneath the bottom flange of the axle bar and are turned upwardly to form lugs 47 which extend through apertures "m that bottom flange, thus rigidly connecting the bracket with the lower portion of the axle bar and holding the same firmly against any upward movement with relation to the axle bar which might tend to bend or distort the bracket. It is also preferable that the lateral edges of the bracket should converge forwardly so as to provide the same with a relatively narrow front portion adapted to be received in the forked end of the handle.

In the construction here illustrated the handle is formed from a single blank of sheet metal, the shape of which is shown in Fig. 7. This blank is folded upon itself to provide the handle with a tubular intermediate portion 48 extending for the greater part of the length of the handle, and the outer end portion of the blank, shown at 49, is folded upon itself to provide a loop-shaped hand grip 50 which is tubular in cross section, this being accomplished by a suitable drawing oper ation. The inner or lower end of the blank, 51, is folded, by a suitable drawing operation, to pro-- vide the handle with a forked end, the arms 52 of which are substantially U-shaped in cross'section and the outer flanges of the arms lead rearwardly and merge into the tubular intermediate portion of the handle, as shown at 53, thus providing a fork of relatively great strength. The arms 52 of the fork are spaced apart sufiiciently to receive between them the front end portion of the handle bracket and are connected to that bracket by means of a pivot pin 54 extending through the flanged arms of the handle and through the lateral flanges'of the bracket. The lateral flanges of the bracket being connected and braced one against the other by the front flange 45, and the j rear ends of these flanges being braced against the axle bar it will be apparent that the'connection is a very strong firm one and that neither the bracket nor the handle fork can be bent or distorted under any ordinary strains to which they maybe subjected. The handle is also subjected to longitudinal twisting or torsional strains,

which cause a slight relative movement of the abutting edges of the tubular intermediate portion of the handle. In order to brace the handle against twisting strains I have provided the abutting edges of the blank with interlocking portions, such as lugs 55 and recesses 56,50 arranged that when the handle is formed into tubular shape the lugs will fit snugly and smoothly within the recesses and will firmly hold the abutting edges against relative longitudinal movement, thereby preventing the handle from twisting.

In Figs. 11 and 12 I have shown a slightly mod ified form of front axle bar adapted to utilize a one-piece axle for supporting both the front wheels, 19. The axle bar is of approximately the same shape as that hereinbefore described and comprises a vertical web 5''! having upper and lower flanges 58 and 59 and end flanges 6G. The end flanges are extended rearwardly, for at least a portion of their length, as shown at 61, to permit the apertures therein to be so arranged that the one piece axle 62, when inserted in the apertured end flanges, will lie in the rear of the pivot pin 33, thus permitting the axle to extend for the full length of the axle bar without interference with the pivot pin.

In l3 and 14 I have shown another form of axle bar in which the wheels may be folded into a compact position for packing without entirely detaching the same from the axle bar. As there shown, the axle bar 63 is of a structure similar to that hereinbefore described but instead of mounting the axle in the end flanges and lugs Ihave mounted on the forward smooth face of the axle bar a bracket 64 having apertured lugs 65 and 66 to receive the axles (57, which carry the wheels 19; the axles being in the present instance retained in the lugs by means of cotter pins 68. This bracket is permanently connected with the axle'bar on a transverse axis near the outer end of the bar and, as here shown, the bracket is connected with the axle bar by means of a rivet 68. The inner end of the bracket is connected to the axle bar by a removable fastening device, such as a bolt 69. By removing the bolt 69 the bracket can be swung about its permanent point of connection and the wheel positioned as shown in dotted lines in 13. When the vehicle is to be compl tely assembled it only necessary to swing the bracket into a horizontal position and insert the bolt 69.

While I have hown and described one einbodiment of invention certain modifications thereof I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In toy vehicle, a body, a supporting mem" ber formed in one piece and comprising a vertical web having at its upper edge means for securing the same to the bottom 0:. said body, having its lateral edges converging downw dly and provided with flanges and having at ower edge :21 apertured flange secured. at its ends to the adjacent ends of said lateral'flanges, and a brace extending from the outer edge of said lower flange, an elongated member arranged in supporting relation to said supporting member and having upper and lower apertured parts spaced one from the other, a pivot pin extending from the bottom of said body and through the apertures in the lower flange of said supporting member and in parts of said elongated member, and wheels mounted on the respective ends or said elongated member.

2. In a toy vehicle, a body, a supporting member secured to said body, a wheel carrying member secured in supporting relation to said supporting member, a pivot pin extending through members, a handle brac :et having a part extending between said members and having an aperture to receive said pin, sai bracket also having a part to engage the front of said wheel car. mom or to the bracket against the s and means to hold said part in engagement with. said wheel carrying member.

3. In a toy vehicle, a body, a support i ber secured to said body, a wheel car ber secured in supp-o relation to porting member, pivot pin exte said members, a handle bracket -yin, w pa. extending betwee said memo rs and having an aperture to rec ve pivot pin, said air-o having a p t e ing below 1 carrying member and h ving upwardly extending lugs, said w g me] having re-- cesses to receive said lugs.

4. In a toy vehicle, a body, a supporting member secured to said body, a wheel carrying member arranged in supporting relation to said sup porting member, a pivot pin extending through said members, a handle bracket formed in one piece and comprising a top plate having depend- .ing lateral flanges, said top plate extending rearwardly beyond said flanges and between said members and having an opening to receive pivot pin, said opening being so arranged thatv the rear edges of said lateral flanges will be held in engagement with said wheel carrying member.

5. In a toy vehicle, a body, a supporting. member secured to said body, a wheel carrying member arranged in supporting relation to said supporting member, a pivot pin extending through said members, a handle bracket comprising a top plate having depending lateral flanges, said top plate extending rearwardly beyond said flanges across the upper edge of said wheel carrying member and having means for securing the same to said wheel carrying member, and said flanges having parts extending beneath said wheel carrying member and provided with upwardly extending lugs, said wheel carrying member having recesses to receive said lugs 6. In a toy vehicle, a body, a supporting member secured to said body, a wheel carrying member arranged in supporting relationto said supporting member, a pivot pin extending through said members, a handle bracket comprising a top plate having depending lateral flanges and a front end flange rigidly connected with said lateral flanges, said plate extending rearwardly beyond said lateral flanges and between said members and having an opening to receive said pivot pin and hold the rear edges of said lateral flanges in with wheel carrying member.

7. In a toy vehicle, a body, a supporting member secured to said body, a wheel carrying member arranged in supporting rel tion to said supportin member, a pivot pin extending through said members, a handle bracket comprising a top plate having depending lateral flanges and a front end flange rigidly connected with said lateral flanges, said plate extending rearwardly beyond said lateral flanges and between said members and having an opening to receive said pivot pin and hold the rear edges of said lateral flanges in engagement with said wheel carrying member, said lateral flanges having means engaging said wheel carrying member to hold the front end of said bracket against upward movement with relation to said wheel carrying member.

8. In a toy vehicle, a body, a supporting member comprising a vertical web having at its upper edge means for securing the same to the bottom of said body, having its lateral edges provided with flanges and having at its lower edge an apertured flange connected with said lateral flanges, an axle bar arranged in supporting relation to said supporting member and comprising a vertical web having flanges at its upper and lower edges, said upper flange having a part opposed to the lower flanges of said supporting member, a pivot pin extending through the bottom of said body and the lower flange of said supporting member and through said axle bar, and wheels supported on the respective ends of said axle bar.

9. Ina toy vehicle, a body, a supporting member comprising a vertical web having at its upper edgemeans for securing the same to the bottom of said body, having its lateral edges provided with flanges and having at its lower edge an apertured flange connected with said lateral flanges, an axle bar arranged in supporting relation to said supporting member and comprising a vertical web having flanges at its upper and lower edges, said upper flange having a substan tially horizontal central portion opposed to the lower flange of said supporting member and having its end portions inclined downwardly and outwardly, and lower flange of said axle bar extending in a substantially straight line to the ends of said axle bar, said axle bar having at each end thereof and between the upper and lower edges thereof means for supporting an axle theren, a pivot pin extending through said body, said supporting member and said axle bar.

10. In a toy vehicle, a body, a supporting member secured to said body and having downwardly converging la eral portions connected at their lower ends by a substantially horizontal portion, an axle bar arranged in supporting relation to said supporting member and comprising a vertical web having a substantially straight loweredge and having a continuous upper edge, the central portion of which is horizontal and the end portions of which slope downwardly and outwardly from the respective ends of said horizontalportion, said web being provided at its upper and lower edges with flanges and the flange for the horizontal portion of said upper edge being arranged in opposed relation to the lower horizontal portion of said supporting member, a pin extending through the bottom of said body and through said supporting member and said axle bar, said axle bar having at each end thereof means for supporting an axle between the upper and lower edges thereof.

CHARLES C. BLACKMORE. 

